Dealing With Fear

Dealing With Fear

Mark 4:35-41

INTRODUCTION

Story: Current economic situations and problems in the Philippines!

I sought the Lord, and he answered me; He delivered me from all my fears. Psalm 34:4

Think of your greatest fears and keep it on your mind while we are studying the Scriptures.

A well known American internist and a growing body of medical specialist say, 90% of the chronic patients they treat illnesses started not with a cough or cold but with fear. Fear of losing a job, of old age, of money troubles, or of being exposed. Sometimes the fear is nothing more than a superficial anxiety; sometimes it is so deep seated that the patient himself denies its existence. Sooner or later these fears manifest themselves as “a clinical symptom.” The patient begins a series of rounds, doctor to doctor, taking injections, hormones, tranquilizers and tonics in search of for relief. (SermonCentral)

We fear LIFE so much because we fear GOD so little. William Gurnall.

Lets see some important facts in this story:

1. Sometimes Jesus calms the storms.

He has the power to do so. That is one of the lessons of this passage. Jesus has the authority over creation. He has the power over the storms of your life. He who created the mountains can say to those mountains in your life, "Move and be cast yonder in the sea," and they will obey Him.

In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." John 16:33 NIV

A little boy who was fishing one day years ago. He saw one of the big beautiful Paddle Steamboats headed down the river and he immediately stood up and began yelling and waving, "Over here! Over here!" I want to ride." An old man fishing near the boy on the bank tried to calm down the boy explaining that the big riverboat was much too important a ship to stop and give rides to little boys. You can imagine the old man’s surprise when the huge ship began crossing over to the riverside where the two were fishing. When the boat edged to the riverbank and dropped it’s gangplank the little boy climbed aboard. When he reached the pilot house on the ship the little boy called down to the elderly gentleman, "Mister, I knew this ship would stop for me. The captain is my father!" The little boy knew his location - he knew where he stood in relation to the Captain and he could call the ship over fully expecting it to do so.

2. Sometimes He lets the storms of life rage us.

In His wisdom, and because of His plan for us, Jesus will allow us to go through many storms. It is a test of faith. It is for our good to refine our faith and give us overcoming faith.

In James 1:2-4, we read, "Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing."

Again, in I Peter 1:6-7, we read, "In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ."

Through difficulties come victories. The trials we face build our faith. They make us mature. The fact is, we all need certain storms in life. Without them, our faith would not mature and our lives would be incomplete.

3. Sometimes He lets the storms stay on us.

This is precisely what happened here. The disciples were full of fear, the opposite of faith. And because of their inability to handle the situation, Jesus intervened. But had they been willing to trust in Him, they would not have even needed His intervention. They would have, by faith, been able to handle the situation themselves. It still would have been in His power, but His power working through them. They may not have stilled the storm, but then, they may not have needed to. Jesus certainly did not.

You see, this is a story of questions. There are really three questions around which this story revolves. The disciples asked Jesus one question. They asked, "Have you no care?" Jesus asked them two questions. He asked, "Why are you afraid?" and "Have you no faith?"

At times, we too are like the disciples. We feel that Jesus is indifferent to us and to our needs. We, too way, "Lord, don’t you care that I’m going through this hard time? Why don’t you do something, Lord?" And we hear nothing. It is as if He is asleep, as in the boat. But He is not asleep, and He does care. The thing we are going through may be necessary for our development.